Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressing a delegation of African journalists in his office in Kyiv, November 2023
05 August 2024 16:42
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The decision of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine is short-sighted and hasty, given the fact that Ukraine, as victim of an unprovoked full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation, with support of the world community strives in every way to restore justice and respect for international law, aimed to protect all countries of the world, including African, from encroachments on their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Ukraine unconditionally adheres to the norms of international law, the inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and resolutely rejects the accusations of the Transitional Government of Mali of alleged «Ukraine’s support for international terrorism».
We remind that it is Ukraine in the 20th century, being one of the founders of the United Nations, actively supported the right of African peoples to independence and decolonization, including the Republic of Mali.
Instead, the Russian Federation, continuing its unprovoked full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, destroys the architecture of international security, violates the Goals and Principles of the UN Charter, which in particular guarantee the right of African countries to free future.
Ukraine is known in Africa as an important contributor to ensuring regional security. Its contingent of «blue helmets» made a significant contribution to the implementation of a number of peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN, in particular from 2019 to 2022 – as part of the UN Missions in Mali.
Regrettably, the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali decided to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine without conducting a thorough study of the facts and circumstances of the incident in the north of Mali, and without providing any evidence of Ukraine’s involvement in the mentioned event.
At the same time, it is ignored that military structures controlled by the Kremlin, including «Wagner», use terrorist methods and are directly involved in numerous war crimes, killings of civilians and ill-treatment of prisoners of war both in Ukraine and in African countries.
Ukraine reserves the right to take all necessary political and diplomatic measures in response to unfriendly actions of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali.
